Egg shortages and high egg prices persist in the US

Egg prices across the US remain very high. The situation that’s not expected to change much as 2025 progresses.

The retail cost of eggs for consumers has risen nearly 40% over the past year, and prices have continued to rise this month. As of 10 January, the average wholesale price for a dozen large or extra-large white eggs was about US$6 (€5.76 as of 22 January) across the country, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The price for medium white eggs was about US$4 (€3.84) per dozen. A little over a year ago, in November 2023, medium egg prices were around US$3.40, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.

It is reported that US shoppers can expect more steep price increases ahead.

Media outlets are reporting that USDA economists are predicting egg prices will rise another 11.4% in 2025 because of continuing outbreaks of highly-pathogenic avian influenza.

The national hen flock was down 3.1% from the same time the year before due to new outbreaks, and it has been reported that over 20 million egg-laying chickens died of the disease in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The USDA reported on 15 January that more than 18.2 million birds were affected in December alone, which is by far the highest monthly total in 2024. An additional 6 million birds have been affected so far this year.

Inflation is another factor driving up prices. USA Today reports that both fuel and labour prices are up, noting that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compensation costs for workers increased by 3.9% for the 12-month period ending in September 2024, as part of a trend in labour prices that increased 4.6% for the 12-month period ending in September 2023.

California’s Proposition 12 has also added production costs due to required housing changes. Demand is another small factor. United Egg Producers reports a long-term increase in per capita egg consumption since 2000 of 4.8%.

There is also a shortage of eggs in some areas – a situation that isn’t expected to improve for several months. “We can’t begin fixing it the next day,” stated Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board. “It is really a 6-to-9-month process.”

And while it’s difficult to say how much bird flu will affect North America this year, hopefully outbreaks will be minimal – and there will be no more major hurricanes. Metz explained that in 2024, hurricanes in the southeastern US caused disorientation among wild bird populations, causing them to “fly back over the same territory that they already flew over. And again, that just provides a greater opportunity for the virus to spread.”

Tags: prices, US, egg-laying chickens, eggs, hen flock